Russian Roulette

Russian Roulette is the seventh album on which Accept turns its honed short, sharp riffs toward a heavier, more uneasy style. Udo Dirkschneider’s gritty voice and the twin guitars of Wolf Hoffmann and others mesh strongly, and a taut tension persists throughout. It is a work that caps the first Udo era. On “T.V. War” and “Monsterman,” reflecting the unease of the Cold War era, a hard-edged sound suggesting social tension is pushed strongly to the fore. From the weight of the title track “Russian Roulette” and the momentum of “Aiming High” to the drama of “Heaven Is Hell,” every song carries a hard-edged appeal. By greatly increasing the overall weight without ever abandoning melody, it makes Accept’s heavy, hard-edged side stand out further. A style full of tension, unlike mere bright metal anthems, runs throughout. Again showing the band’s expressive breadth and depth, it is a weighty, engaging heavy-metal record.